Unclipping from Look Pedals

Mike

I just bought a new pair of Look CX-6 pedals for my road
bike and am really struggling to unclip from the pedal. I
almost fell multiple times today on the bike. Prior to this,
I was using Shimano SPD mtn bike pedals - which were pretty
easy to get out of.

If I try to swing my heel away from the bike, it takes alot
of effort to unclip. If I swing my heel towards the bike, it
unclips much easier but I end up kicking the seat tube, my
water bottle, etc.

I thought maybe it was break-in of the pedal/cleat - I must
have unclipped 40 - 50 times today. I believe that the
tension is set to a minimum (screw rotated all the way
counterclockwise).

Am I doing something wrong? Or is this the nature of the
Look pedal??

Thanks Mike

Arthur Harris

"Mike" wrote:
> I just bought a new pair of Look CX-6 pedals for my road
> bike and am really struggling to unclip from the pedal. I
> almost fell multiple times today on the bike. Prior to
> this, I was using Shimano SPD mtn bike pedals - which were
> pretty easy to get out of.

I'm pretty sure the CX-6 and the PP-396 pedals have a higher
tension range (12-18 NM) than most of the other Look pedals
(9-12 NM).

Make sure the neutral cleat position is adjusted so that
minimum outward foot rotation is required to release. And
make sure the tension really is set at minimum. There are
several detents in the tension adjustment. You should be
able to turn the screw several complete rotations.

With my PP-396s, I found that the release tension decreased
over time. It was a little uncomfortable at first, but
nowhere near causing a crash.

Art Harris

Hardwarelust

"Mike" <mbastuk@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:dc53077a.0407110506.4759e729@posting.google.com...
> I just bought a new pair of Look CX-6 pedals for my road
> bike and am really struggling to unclip from the pedal. I
> almost fell multiple times today on the bike. Prior to
> this, I was using Shimano SPD mtn bike pedals - which were
> pretty easy to get out of.
>
> If I try to swing my heel away from the bike, it takes
> alot of effort to unclip. If I swing my heel towards the
> bike, it unclips much easier but I end up kicking the seat
> tube, my water bottle, etc.
>
> I thought maybe it was break-in of the pedal/cleat - I
> must have unclipped 40 - 50 times today. I believe that
> the tension is set to a minimum (screw rotated all the way
> counterclockwise).
>
> Am I doing something wrong? Or is this the nature of the
> Look pedal??

Actually, I find it's *easier* to unclip if the release
tension is set *higher*. I, too, used to ride around with
the release tension set low, thinking it was safer. One day,
I started setting it higher (one click higher than the
least) and I found it's easier to unclip now.

Try rotating your cleats slightly. There's enough float so
you can rotate them a little bit, and it'll make it easier
to unclip while still giving you enough float.

Also, make sure you haven't damaged you cleats in some way.
I've had accidents where the inside back edge of the pedal
(the part in the rear of the cleat that actually 'clicks'
in, under the little 'shelf') was damaged, and that made
clicking out by outward rotation almost impossible until I
replaced the cleat.

It definitely takes some time to get the cleats in just the
right place. But, when you do I think it's well worth it.
I'm a long-time Look fan, and I've tried many different
brands/types of pedals, but I always come back to Looks.

Regards,
H.

Mjr

After using Look pedals for a number of years, I found that
they are indeed harder to unclip from than my current pedal
of choice, SPDs.

I also found that my right cycling shoe would stretch a bit
over time, more so than the left shoe, perhaps due at least
in part to the Look's resistance to unclipping.

Habitually, my right foot is the one to unclip at stop
lights.

My foot would then rotate in the shoe a degree or two
before I could produce sufficient pressure on the cleat so
as to unclip.

If you are racing, however, the extra hold is probably worth
it. No one wants to inadvertantly unclip during a hard push
to the front.

"Mike" <mbastuk@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:dc53077a.0407110506.4759e729@posting.google.com...
> I just bought a new pair of Look CX-6 pedals for my road
> bike and am really struggling to unclip from the pedal. I
> almost fell multiple times today on the bike. Prior to
> this, I was using Shimano SPD mtn bike pedals - which were
> pretty easy to get out of.
>
> If I try to swing my heel away from the bike, it takes
> alot of effort to unclip. If I swing my heel towards the
> bike, it unclips much easier but I end up kicking the seat
> tube, my water bottle, etc.
>
> I thought maybe it was break-in of the pedal/cleat - I
> must have unclipped 40 - 50 times today. I believe that
> the tension is set to a minimum (screw rotated all the way
> counterclockwise).
>
> Am I doing something wrong? Or is this the nature of the
> Look pedal??
>
> Thanks Mike